The Haruno Files: Confidential
by SeaGoatsUnite
Summary: Hindsight can be a dangerous thing in the ninja world. Especially if you are Haruno Sakura. What will become of this mess that has been created?
1. Chapter 1

_AN: OK, this will be a mulitchappy fic. I don't own Naruto, but I own the idea behind this story._

It's been thirteen years since he left and he had only been back once. He didn't stay long, just long enough to visit his teammate then leave. He was battered, bloody and bruised and she used all her medical knowledge to heal him in more ways than one. Nine months later, she had twins. Akina Uchiha and Masato Uchiha were born at 5:00 in the afternoon and were mere seconds apart in their arrival. Akina weighed 7 lbs. 5 oz, and Masato weighed 8 lbs. 4 oz, and he was the younger of the two.

After their births, she received a mix of reactions from people. Some were angered that she didn't capture him and call for help, others were shocked that he was even in town, and most were just shocked that she was pregnant. Her old sensei, Kakashi was understanding although a bit disappointed in her decision that she thought that sleeping with Sasuke would convince him to stay. Naruto was ecstatic about the twins but angered that Sasuke got away, and Tsunade was more than helpful and understanding. But it was the knock on the front door of her house that worried her.

"Yes?" Six year old Akina answered the two jounin that were at her door. She looked at the cat mask and the wolf mask and knew that this was mommy's official business.

"Hello, is this the home of Sakura Haruno?" He bent down to her level and looked at her. She had pink and black hair and Sharingan eyes. Yes, this child was an Uchiha, and her brother was the spitting image of the village's third biggest traitor, Sasuke. Akina smiled sweetly and invited the two gentlemen in.

"Please wait here so I can get my mommy." Her idea of getting her mom involved a high pitch yell up the stairs and the two jounin had to clear the ringing in their ears from the sound.

Twenty-five year old Sakura Haruno raced down the stairs and looked at the two waiting ninja. She ushered her daughter into the back room and told her and her brother to finish washing up for dinner. She turned around and brushed the long pink hair out of her face. She searched their body posture and faces for any indication as to what this visit may entail. She got nothing. Typical.

"Can I help you two?"

"Yes, we were told to deliver this missive from the Head of the ANBU Interrogation Squad. Your response is required." After handing her the scroll, they poofed away and she shut the door. Now this was confusing, what could they have possibly wanted? She unrolled the scroll and read the note.

"You are summoned to the office of Interrogation tomorrow pending an important matter that involves the security of our village. This is mandatory. Please be advised that lack of regard to this missive is tantamount to a plea of guilt."

She shook her head and wondered what could be so important. Shrugging it off, she went to the kitchen and fed her kids, sent them to bed and proceeded to head to the hospital for her shift.

The following morning, Sakura found herself wandering the cavernous halls of the ANBU main office after she had gotten home late from the hospital and woke up early to get her children to the ninja academy. She didn't enjoy coming to this place. Everyone was wearing a mask and the silence was deafening. It was so quite it was like you could hear other people think. The air was cold and the over waxed tile floor echoed every step taken. There were no windows and the place was lit with halogen bulbs. Guards were lined on all sides of the hallway and visitors were made to feel like an outsider. She finally found the office and was escorted in by two guards. They looked familiar, but all ANBU looked alike. That was the point. She entered the office and was shocked by the dramatic changes that had occurred since Ibiki-san had left his post and retired. It was no longer the cozy office she remembered when she had to deliver information to him, the office now was barren and cold. She sat down in the hard metal chair and waited while the guy in the swivel desk chair turned to face her.

He was in his mid forties and had an air of mysteriousness about him . The blonde hair of his youth had now turned to a flat and faded light blonde and the gray at the temples suggested his age to be of that around Kakashi-sensei's age or slightly older. His black trench coat was hanging on the coat rack and his leaf headband was sagging on the arm of the coat. Sakura had only met this man once. He was a patient of hers some years ago and the circumstances escaped her for the moment. He puts out his cigar and turns to face her, masked.

"Sakura Haruno, I presume?"

"Yes, sir. May I inquire as to what this is about?"

"No, I will ask all of the questions here." Sakura visibly gulped and tried to divert her eyes from this man and focus on anything other than him. This was just getting weirder by the moment.

He reached in his desk and pulled out a clip board that had indiscernible chicken scratch written on it.

"Yes, now Sakura, if I may call you that, do you know a certain Sasuke Uchiha?"

"Yes, why? Everything should be in my file." What did he of all people have to do with anything?

"There has been a rumor that Sasuke Uchiha is the father of your children."

"I wouldn't say father, but yes, they are related to him."

"Interesting. GUARDS!" There was a clash and a bang as three ninja entered the room. Suddenly Sakura found herself bound at the wrists and secured around the ankles. What the hell was going on she thought to herself?

The man behind the desk rose out of his seat and looked at her.

"I, Saito Kaneda, by order of the ANBU military police, do hereby place you under arrest for treason to the village in connection to your crimes committed with Sasuke Uchiha six years ago."

"What? No! You can't do this to me. I have never betrayed the village. Not once! I swear! I have two children at home! You can't arrest me! Please! " She struggled against her garrison and when they resisted her attempts, she quit when the ropes rubbed her wrists raw. She sank to her knees and wept. What was going on? Why wouldn't they tell her anything? Those bastards!

"Save it for the jury. You will be held until further notice pending the outcome of your trial and investigation. Guards, take her away." With that, the door shut and Sakura found herself in a cell watching as the metal bars slid closed.

_END NOTE: Ok, here is some info behind the name selections._

_Akinaspring flower; MasatoJustice; Saito Kaneda; combined names I got off random boxes of anime movies._


	2. Chapter 2

After what seemed like hours, a prison guard had come to escort her to the conference room. She sat at the rickety folding table and was chained to the chair. She looked at herself in the multidirectional mirror and sighed. Pink hair and orange jumpsuits don't go together, she thought sarcastically.

A ninja walked in the room along with Kaneda and sat down at the table with her.

"Miss Haruno, you can make two phone calls. You can use the phone here. Oh, everything in this room is being recorded." Sakura nodded and thought of the two people who could help her out. The fifth and sixth Hokages. She picked up the phone and dialed the number to the Hokage tower.

The phone was as usual, busy. She waited and waited until the operator finally picked up on the other line.

"Do you know your party's extension?"

"Yes, 6-2-7-8-8-6"

"One moment. Please hold for clearance." She banged her head against the table. She'd been holding for ten minutes already. She understood Naruto-sama was busy as the Rokudiame, but sheesh.

A deep voice finally picked up on the other line.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"Naruto, it's Sakura. Listen, you have to come down to ANBU headquarters. I have been arrested for suspected treason. Come right away."

"What? Sakura-chan? I am on my way. Don't move. I will call Kakashi-sensei immediately."

"Thank you. Please hurry." By the way, she thought to herself, she wasn't moving anytime soon.

Her next phone call was to Tsunade-sama. She tried her house and she wasn't home, then she tried Jiraiya's. He was.

"Hello?"

"Jiraiya-sama, this is Sakura Haruno, Tsunade's apprentice, I need to get in touch with her immediately. Do you know where I can find her?"

"Yep, she's right here. Hold on." Tsunade picked up the phone and after Sakura recanted the events, she hung up. They were both on their way. Maybe with two Hokage's, a Legendary Sannin, and one of the most feared Jounin in the business, they could clear up this supposed treason and Sakura could get home in time to meet her kids after school.

She redirected her attention to Kaneda and he flipped on a tape recorder. Sakura stated that she wished to contact her own legal counsel and not sign or write anything until they had a chance to meet.

After sitting in the chilly room and enduring the lingering stench of cigarettes, the four showed up. She was more or less surprised to see Kakashi-sensei on time. Naruto was visibly agitated and Tsunade didn't look particularly happy either.

"What in the hell is going on here? Where is your evidence and why in the hell wasn't I informed of this investigation before hand?" Naruto broke the silence and Sakura was even more shocked that he hadn't been informed by ANBU. Interesting.

"Hokage-sama, we are sorry to inform you that we have overwhelming evidence of her acts of harboring a fugitive and her disloyalty to her village."

"This is outrageous! I know you ANBU were given orders to hunt down any possible insider spies, but this is ridiculous." Tsunade advanced on Kaneda and threatened him if he didn't release her protégé.

"Your threats mean nothing here. You are no longer in office, plus, we've seen the files and you went soft on her when she became pregnant. So don't threaten me."

In a flash, Kaneda found himself pinned to the wall by Jiraiya and Naruto.

"You will remember why we are Legendary, you little runt. I may be 63 years old, but I am just as strong as I was when I was younger. I can still kick your butt. Don't underestimate her you little punk."

Kakashi by this point had put his book away and looked at the room.

"Let's stop the posturing and get down to business. This is obviously some gross misunderstanding. " He winked at Sakura to reassure her. He was stunned by her appearance. Her hair showed signs of a late night and an even longer day. She had red and puffy eyes from crying, and she was getting fidgety. Probably thinking about her kids. He looked at Kaneda and spoke.

"I believe she has two days to meet with her counsel before her arraignment. So, if you will excuse us, Kaneda-san, we will get to work."

"As you wish, Kakashi-san." He bowed and left the room and they sat down and tried to figure out a plan of attack.

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"Ok, Sakura-chan, tell us every thing you know so far."

"Well, according to Kaneda, when I stupidly slept with Sasuke and didn't alert anybody, that was when the crime was committed. It's been so long since that night, it will take me a while to piece it all together. What I want to know is why now. Why after six years has this become an issue? Why is my involvement with him an issue? It shouldn't be. I just don't get it."

"Hmm.." Kakashi thought, "we need a good strategist here. Someone who knows how to handle the mind games ANBU plays. Ibiki is out of town on vacation, so he's out." He looked over at Naruto and on cue, he got the hint.

"Ibiki might be out of the picture but Shikamaru isn't. I'm going to call him. Jiraiya-sensei and Obaa-chan, hang out here, get all back ground information. Kakashi-sensei, I need you to do some field work. Ask your colleagues and such. Get me some answers. I will be back shortly."

"Hey Naruto, could you also call Gaara-sama. I have a feeling I am going to need all the fire power I can get." Plus, she thought to herself, he owed her a favor for saving his hide a while back.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan, you aren't going to take the fall for Sasuke. I won't let that happen." He rubbed the back of his head and then poofed off to who knows where.

"Tsunade, I am also going to be doing some field research. I will be in touch and contact me when the Nara arrives. I know he is a genius and he may have an impartiality that will help us through this mess." Jiraiya kissed Tsunade and poofed out of the room.

Sakura just looked at Tsunade-sensei and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Where did she go wrong? Why didn't this make sense?

Tsunade looked at her young apprentice and smiled at her. She sat down and grabbed on to Sakura's hand. Sakura was no longer the green amatuer. She was one of the top medical ninja in Konoha and a working mother of two. She had truly blossomed and it hurt her to see her so down-trodden.

"It's going to be okay. Maybe if you talk to me about that night, something may make sense."

Taking a deep breath, Sakura sighed and began.

"It was a rainy night when I had gotten home from my post-operative shift. I had finished signing charts and updating the patient medications. I headed home and flipped on my light to my apartment. There he was, clear out of the blue, standing in my kitchen, bloody and soaking wet. He had a wild look in his eyes, and it had just been so long since I'd seen him. He looked at me and said,

"Sakura, it's been awhile, but I need your healing touch." That's when I fell back in love with him.

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AN: OOh, what's going to happen? Hmm...only I know the answer to that. Muwahahahaha. OH yeah, read and review, and I don't own crap.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you to all my reviewers. Keep them coming, they keep me going. Also, don't own, yada yada.

Nara Shikamaru was, in Naruto's estimation, the brightest guy he knew. Although Shikamaru still had his "everything is a pain in the ass" attitude, Naruto knew that he was simply the best man for the job. As Naruto walked down the street counting off house numbers, he knew that Shikamaru was not going to be happy to have to work on his day off. Finally, he reached the address and knocked on the door. Normally, he would've sent out a missive, but this required his personal attention.

After waiting for a few minutes, seven year old Shouji Nara answered. Like his father, he had the familial topknot, but his blue eyes were calculating and measuring up Naruto. He was also sporting what looked like BBQ sauce all over his face. Then it dawned on Naruto, it was Shouji's birthday, hence Shikamaru's day off. Oh, he was really going to be pissed off.

"Can I help you mister?" Shouji asked while wiping his BBQ stained hands on his shirt.

"Yes, can you tell your father that the Rokudaime is here to see him?"

"The who? Hold on, let me get him." SLAM! The door slammed shut in Naruto's face.

Beyond the paneling of the door, he could hear little Shouji call out to his mom and dad.

"_Dad! There's some weird dude outside who wants to see you."_

"_Did he say who he was?" _

"_He said Raku-something or other. I don't know, it was too troublesome to remember."_

"_Damn it, Shika. I told you not to teach our son that phrase."_

"_Ino, calm down. Let me go see who's at the door."_

Naruto heard the lazy footsteps of his Chief of Military Strategy. Shikamaru answered the door and just stared blankly at Naruto.

"Oh, so you're the weird dude my son was talking about. Sorry about that. Come on in. We're having a picnic. Something to drink?"

"No. Listen, Shikamaru, we need to talk. This is official business."

Ino walked in the kitchen and waved to Naruto. He couldn't believe that she was pregnant again. He remembered the first time she was, and his chief advisor went through hell.

After she walked out to join the rest of the party, Shikamaru led Naruto into one of the living rooms.

"OK, what is this visit all about?"

"Sakura has been arrested for suspicion of treason. We need a logical head and a damn slick legal expert. Interested?"

"Treason? Sasuke, I presume? Man, the new ANBU Chief is really taking his job of hunting down possible spies seriously. Damn. He's turning everything into a giant witch hunt. Kaneda is such an ass. This will be troublesome, but I will do it."

"Thank you, Shikamaru. I really appreciate it."

"I am only doing it because I don't want to listen to my troublesome wife if I don't. Plus, Sakura's part of the Rookie Nine. We look out for each other."

"Thank you, again." After relaying the rest of the story, Naruto took his leave and headed back to his office. He needed to make a few phone calls.

The Village Hidden in the Sand was in the middle of one of the most scorching summers ever. The air was dry and the desert oasis was starting to dry up. It was so hot, it was jokingly reported that the birds had to use pot holders to pull the worms out of the ground. Gaara's office was no different. He was sitting at his desk and had the fan blowing to circulate the stagnant air. He was browsing over reports and such but the constant sweating of his fingers kept leaving finger prints on the documents. He finally gave up and was about to head home for the day when the call came in. There were only several people who had his direct line, Kankuro, Temari, and Naruto-sama. Everyone else was redirected and redirected again until they eventually hung up. He liked it that way.

"Godiame Kazekage, here."

"Gaara-sama. Hey, it's Naruto from Konoha." Gaara mentally slapped his head. There was only one Naruto anybody knew and they all knew he was from Konoha. Naruto was legendary.

"Yes?"

"Listen, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind making a side trip to our village for a couple of days. We are in a jam here and your support would greatly help us."

"What kind of support do you require?" It was interesting that through the years, Gaara actually may have formed a friend. Although a distant one, he thought to himself, he and Naruto understood each other very well.

"I simply need a statement concerning your involvement with Sakura and a statement regarding her character."

"And I would be doing this why?"

"She is in a lot of trouble for her involvement with Sasuke. I had hoped that with your statement, and a few others, the new Chief of ANBU would drop the charges laid against her."

"Ahh, using your friends in high places to help a friend. Very interesting. Hmm. I will think on it and let you know. I know for certain I can't be there until next week. My week is booked with official business and what not, but, I will send a missive one way or another.

"Thanks, Gaara-sama, you are a life saver."

Funny, that was the first time in his life he had ever been called that. Talk about an oxymoron. Gaara smirked to himself and gave Temari and Kankuro a call. They would get a kick out of this bit of information.

Back in Konoha, the tension at the Correctional Facility was thick. After being escorted back to her cell, Kaneda paid Sakura a visit.

"Look Sakura-san, if you just sign the waiver of guilt, you will be able to get out of here in no time. You will be able to see your kids and remain under house arrest until your trial. Why put yourself through this? Sasuke isn't worth the trouble he's placed you in. Just confess and this will all be over."

"Go to hell, Kaneda. You know nothing about me or my situation. I won't confess and you can't make me."

"I am not Chief of Operations for ANBU for nothing. I will make you confess, one way or another."

"Try anything and I will kill you. I am a ninja first and foremost. Don't play head games with me. I can be very dangerous."

"Now, Sakura-san, you wouldn't be threatening me would you? That won't look very well on you trial date." He lit a cigarette and paced to and fro in front of the bars.

"Put that disgusting cigarette out. I am innocent of any wrong doing. Give it up, Kaneda. I am one nut you won't crack."

Kaneda clearly frustrated slammed his fist against the wall. "See that hole I just made? That will be you if you don't cooperate."

"Tsk. Tsk. I expected more from you. Resorting to using violence against a woman to get your way. You truly are a sick bastard. I have friends in very high places. It wouldn't look too good on your personal safety either if you were to lay a hand on me."

"Your friends are powerless in this situation. You better hope you get great legal counsel, sweetheart. Oh, by the way, I feel I should inform you. Your children will be placed under the protection of the village until your verdict. Have a good day."

"Don't you dare lay a hand on my children, you jerk." Kaneda just walked off and minutes later, Shikamaru arrived on the scene.

"SHIKAMARU! Boy am I glad to see you. Listen, you need to get someone over to the school to pick up my kids before that jerk gets there. I wasn't able to leave a note or anything. They will worry when they see I am not home. I don't want them drug through the mud of this mess I am in. Please you have to hurry."

"Sakura, calm down. He won't touch your kids. They are over at our house right now celebrating with Shouji. Kakashi-sensei picked them up early from school and dropped them off. That was just half an hour after Naruto told me what was going on. Don't worry, they are safe. Ino won't let anything happen to them."

"Wait, why wasn't Shouji at school then?"

"Oh, birthday's are the only days he gets a break from the academy. We had a BBQ."

"Ha! That's great."

"OK, Sakura, I will be representing you so I will need to know all the facts. I will need to know everything about that night and the night he left the village when you were twelve."

"Ok, but it's going to be a long story. You might as get the bars open and come on in." He nodded at her and yelled for the guards to unlock the cell.

An ANBU guard wearing a tiger's mask strolled up to the cell and denied permission to open the cell courtesy of the orders given by Kaneda. Shikamaru was less than pleased.

"Captain, if you value you position, I would recommend opening this cell. For future reference, I out rank him. Don't make me pull rank."

"Yes, sir." The door slid open and he entered the narrow 5'x5'x5' cell.

Three hours later, Shikamaru had most of the information he needed. He needed to meet with a few other people to put a reasonable defense strategy together.

Across town, Kakashi and Jiraiya were comparing notes that they had unearthed from the bowels of the underground. It seemed there had been a surge of missing-nin that had been reported to have entered the city. This had been a trend and the leak in the system was still baffling to the Rokudaime and ANBU alike. For months now, Akatsuki activity had been increasing in the Lamda sectors according to a lot of the locals. Several of them reported seeing men in black robes with red clouds. However, reports from the borders all negated the sightings of these criminals. Somewhere, there was a string of inconsistencies that were either typographical or premeditated. They both agreed to research the idea further. Also, the topic of the Uchiha kids came up.

"Kakashi, Tsunade and I will look after the children. Sakura will be stuck in that cell for a spell and those kids are a walking target without her. With Itachi still alive and Sasuke gone, those kids will need all the protection they can get."

"I appreciate the offer, Jiraiya-sama, but, she is on my team. I can keep them at my place for a while that way they will think they are visiting Uncle Kakashi and Aunt Shizune and not ask too many questions. Plus, Obito wants to earn some extra money, so he can babysit for me if needed. Also, I will be preparing the children in case they get subpoenaed to testify in court. I don't think Sakura's told them everything, and unfortunately they need to know everything."

"True, but, Sakura will need to be informed. Go, tell her the plan, then meet me and Naruto at Ichiraku." Jiraiya pulled out his trusty telescope and mentally cringed at the thought of more ramen.

"Fine, but you are paying." Kakashi smirked and poofed off to the holding cell.

The trip to the jail cells was less than stellar. The hot wind whistled through the bars and the aroma of what appeared to be old sweat and old fish hung in the air. He found her cell and looked at his watch. Visiting hours would be over shortly so he had to make this quick. But when he looked at her sleeping form, he saw how the recent stress played out across her face. She truly had grown up into a wonderful woman he thought. Her job occupied most of her time, yet, she was able to raise two beautiful children. What the hell was Sasuke thinking? He mentally groaned and thought back to earlier in the day when he picked up the Uchiha twins.

_His first stop had been to the Head Master's office. Iruka-sensei was now in charge of the genin education program. He let Kakashi into his office and after hearing the unfolding story, he agreed that the Uchiha kids would be safer out of the public eye._

_His next stop had been to room 2C where Akina Uchiha was currently located. He thought back to the time when he first met Team 7. He checked the doorway for erasers and stepped inside the room. Konohamaru was giving a lecture on correct balance of chakra and stopped the minute he saw Kakashi._

_"Yes? Can I help you?"_

_"Yes, Akina Uchiha is needed immediately by the order of the Rokudaime. She will have an indefinite leave of absence."_

_"Understood, Kakashi-sempai. Akina, gather your things and don't worry about your class work. I will drop it by daily so that you can keep up."_

_"Yes, sensei."_

_Once they left the room, Akina turned her red eyes to her Uncle Kakashi._

_"What is all this about. I've never missed a day of class."_

_"I can't tell you that now, but be patient. You will have your answers soon. Now where is your brother's class room?"_

_"He is in 3F with Sayuri Hyuuga." He smiled at her and ruffled her hair. They really were good kids, it was just a shame that their circumstances weren't better. He knew Sakura worked her butt off and that they house they had a second mortgage taken out on it. She was simply scraping by. But through all the hardship, her children were still able to smile. That spoke volumes about her capabilities._

_When they reached 3F, the same routine was repeated and he was thusly excused. _

_As they were heading towards the market, Kakashi passed the Nara residence and got an idea. After confronting Shikamaru and Ino about his plan for the children for a few hours, they agreed to let them stay until Kakashi got off work. _

Sakura had the sinking feeling that she was being watched. She jolted out of her slumber to be greeted by her sensei.

"Kakashi-sensei..."

"Sakura, listen, I just came by to reassure you that your children will be fine. They will stay with Shizune and I until your trial is over. They are the safest there."

"Are you sure? Shizune doesn't mind?"

"It's all been taken care of."

"Thank you so much. Um, I have a little money set aside for emergencies. You can use it for the upkeep of the kids..."

"Sakura, I am doing this for free because you and Naruto and Sasuke are precious to me, regardless of how wacky we all turned out."

Seeing the onslaught of tears that was about to ensue, he reached through the bars and gave her a hug. She hugged him back and he told her to keep her head up.

The next morning in the Hatake household was a mixture of kids and chaos. Shizune was making pancakes with the help of Akina. Nine year old Obito was griping about having to share a bathroom with Masato and Shizune was trying to placate him while not burning the bacon. Kakashi just sat at the table in stupefied awe. This was nuts, but in a good way. Finally, breakfast was over, Obito's lunch was prepared for the day, and grumblings about boring school faded into the distance as Shizune escorted her kid to school after kissing her husband goodbye. Kakashi reveled in the quiet house until he looked at his new charges. They both just stood there with their red eyes boring into him.

Kakashi sighed to himself and let the kids know what the day's itinerary was.

"Ok, guys, you will be off from school for a while. You will be learning under me and you will conquer things that aren't covered in class."

"Um, Uncle Kakashi? Where is mommy?" Masato Uchiha was anything but dull minded. He leaned into his sister for support and she ruffled his hair like a mother would a child. So that was the family dynamic.

"Um, your mom is in some trouble. But don't worry, she is safe and not harmed."

Akina spoke up, "Masato, think of this as an extended field trip."

"OK."

"Now that that is settled, I hear you guys can already create a clone. Can I see it?"

Three hours and two tired children later, there was a knock at the door. Kakashi picked himself up out of the chair and answered. Naruto and Hinata were standing there with the newest addition to the Uzumaki clan, Torao. He was seven months old and had blond hair and Hyuuga eyes. Interesting combination, but then again, his own son had silver hair. Guess anything goes when it comes to genetics in Konoha.

"Hey, just wanted to drop a few things off for the kids. Mostly clothes and such. I also heard some news that I thought you might want to hear."

"Come on in, please."

Hinata walked in and excused herself so that she could check up on the kids. They were sound asleep and totally depleted of chakra. What was Kakashi teaching them? She grabbed her son from his father's grasp and kissed him on the cheek.

"Naruto, I am going to meet Ino and Tenten at the market. Bye Kakashi-sensei."

She left and Kakashi turned to Naruto.

"You two crack me up."

"Oh, shut up sensei. Now, about that news..."

In Suna, an emergency family meeting had been called to relay the contents of the phone call.

"Well, Gaara-sama, are you going?" Temari asked after trying to cool herself off in the sweltering heat.

"Yes. She has been an asset to this village. Kankuro, are you going?"

"Absolutely. She saved my life, it's time I repaid that debt."

In a flash, the two brothers poofed out of the room. Temari shook her head and sighed. It was going to be a long week without those two. Guess it was up to her to cancel all of the Kazekage's appointments for the upcoming week. Boys are so troublesome.


	4. Chapter 4

OK, quick reference guide to who's kid is whos and their ages….

Akina (means spring flower), Masato (means justice)Sakura/Sasuke (not married, but children have Uchiha surname). Both 6 yrs. Old. Akina is older by minutes

Shouji Nara (combination of Shikamaru and Chouji)Ino/Shikamaru (married and pregnant again) 7 yrs. Old.

Sayuri Hyuuga (means little lilly)Tenten/Neji. 5 years old

Torao Uzumaki (means tiger)Hinata/Naruto (now Rokudaime) 7 months old.

Obito Hatake (pretty obvious who he's named after)Shizune/Kakashi 9 years old.

Jiraiya/Tsunade (no children, but are more like consorts with each other. No marriage, but the affection and the love without the commitment. I kind of see them as seeing Naruto as their own son and watching him grow.)

Also, Saito Kaneda (again, two last names I combined from various animes.)

**ALSO, if you can guess what the random numbers I supply throughout the story stand for, you will get a surprise. The first number was the extension number to Naruto's office. The second is the cell block number. Good luck.**

The arraignment hearing marked the start of the justice process. The Disciplinary Process, or DA process, in Konoha is quite simple. The Chief Council is made up of five people who inevitably determine the fate of the accused. There is the Hokage, two Village Elders, one Special Jounin, and one Chuunin. However, since the accused is a member the Hokage's genin team, he has been omitted so that the Council is fair and impartial. The purpose of the Council is to hear the testimonials of different individuals to determine the motive of the accused crime and to decipher the character of the defendant. Testimonials are gathered and submitted and then the authors of the papers are subpoenaed. They then appear and field questions from the prosecution as well as the defense teams and then they are excused. The cases have no jury except the Council. Other than the two Village Elders and the Hokage, the chuunin and jounin are randomly selected. Therefore, no one knows who the Council will consist of until the day of the trial. This eliminates any bribing. Basically, everyone's name that's available at the time gets put in a hat and the defendant picks two papers. If the defendant was found innocent, they would simply resume their lives. However, if the opposite were true, sentencing could result in anything ranging from repetitive D missions to loss of rank to death. Shikamaru did not want the latter.

In fact, it was Shikamaru who had spent all week interviewing people at the hospital and her friends. Kankuro and Gaara-sama had made an appearance earlier in the week and are sequestered in the VIP quarters. They had given statements and visited her in the holding pen. Shikamaru was talking with her when they made it on the scene.

"_Halt!" One of the junior guards yelled at the foot of the hallway leading down and attempted to place his hand on Gaara-sama's arm to stop him._

"_State your name and business…" He was summarily launched against the wall by a sand storm. His buddy shook with apprehension and let Gaara-sama in the door. It took him several tries to get the key in the lock._

"_I am the Kazekage. My business is none of your pathetic concern. Touch me again and you will die." Behind him, Kankuro smirked and grabbed the keys out of the guards hands. Sometimes doing something one's self is just easier._

"_Oh, by the way, you better check on your comrade. He has a few broken ribs for his insolence in not recognizing who I am." Gaara turned from the guards and made it to cell 6667._

_They had spent a few minutes chatting and Kankuro kept complimenting her on how great she looked. She just smiled at him, but Kankuro knew it was an empty smile. Her world was truly shaken. After a few barbs about the quality of food and the living conditions, they left. They had to meet with Naruto to discuss official business._

Shikamaru also spent the morning filing all the necessary paperwork to the Council. His wife kept reminding him that the fate of her best friend was in his hand and he better not screw it up. He sighed to himself as he let himself in the holding area for prisoners. He walked to her cell and found she was already ready to face the Council for the first time.

"Ok, Sakura, when you appear before them, just remain calm. They will ask you a few questions and then your trial will begin shortly afterwards."

"Will there be a lot of people there?"

"Unfortunately yes. You are about to become famous, and this will be a pain in the ass for both of us. This whole scenario is so troublesome. Oh, Kaneda will try to make you out to be a bad person, so don't throw a fit if he offends you. This is his moment in the sun and he will do anything to keep the spotlight on him. It was his assignment to hunt down any possible spies, so he wants to show the public that he is doing his job.

"Will I be able to see my kids beforehand? I haven't seen them in two weeks."

"No, I am sorry. Kaneda subpoenaed them and the Council couldn't have you possibly influencing them. But Kakashi and Shizune have taken care of them. They are fine and so will you be. Well, here we are. Are ya ready?"

Taking a deep breath, Sakura turned to Shikamaru and nodded.

The chambers of the Council were beyond anything Sakura had ever seen. The walls were painted in a soft beige color and the carpet was extra plush to quell any echo. People were lined in the rows waiting for the defendant to enter. The lighting was blaring to her and ninja lined the walls in case any insurgents came to interrupt any proceedings. ANBU ninja were waiting with explicit orders to carry out any extreme sentencing and that made Sakura very nervous. The sad part was, she knew a lot of these shinobi. She had saved their lives, healed their various wounds and delivered many of their kids. Yet, here they were, waiting to see if their fellow comrade would be put to death for a moment in her life when she showed sheer stupidity by acting with her heart. She broke rule 25, she knew that, but being labeled as a traitor seemed a bit extreme.

The Council members were seated at the dais in the front of the room. She recognized the two village elders. One was Homura Mitokado and the other was Koharu Utatane. They were in their early 80's and were the teammates of the late Third Hokage. Naruto's seat was empty of course, so that he couldn't influence the panel. The other two seats were empty. Those would be filled later by the names she drew out of the box.

She looked around the room and spotted a gaggle of her friends. Naruto and Hinata were sitting in the front row holding little Torao, while Kakashi and Shizune sat next to them with her kids and their son Obito. She let out a gasp as she saw her daughter and son. They looked up, clearly miserable in their dress clothes, and started to rise to run to their mother. Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama, held them at bay and whispered something in their ear. They then quieted down and Sakura winked at them to let them know she was OK. Gaara-sama, Kakuro, Ino and her son, Tenten and Neji were all lined in the second row and each looked outraged that this was actually happening.

The Council members summoned her to the dais and she drew the two names that would affect her life. The first was Ebisu and she mentally cringed. Of all the anal retentive stickler for the book ninjas, she had to choose him. The other was Tonbo Tobitake, a chuunin she recognized from the chuunin selection exam who had a visual jutsu that he utilized underneath all of the wrappings. They walked into the room and the proceedings began.

"State your name, rank, and registration ID for the record." Mitokado looked at her with his piercing eyes.

"Sakura Haruno, Jounin, 012601."

"Miss Haruno, you have been charged with the crime of treason. How do you plead?"

"Not Guilty."

"Thank you. You may take the stand. Kaneda-san, you have the floor."

"Thank you." He ran his fingers through his hair and put on his best smile and approached the defendant.

"Miss Haruno, were you aware at the time of said incident that Sasuke Uchiha was in fact listed as a missing-nin?"

"Yes."

"Yet you still healed his wounds and let him go his merry way?"

"OBJECTION. LEADING THE WITNESS." Shikamaru protested.

"Sustained. Rephrase the question, Kaneda-san."

"Was he wounded?"

"Yes."

"You healed him, then?"

"Yes."

"Interesting. How did he escape?"

"I don't know. I went to sleep and when I woke he was gone."

"Did it occur to you to alert anybody?"

"No."

"Are those his children?"

"No, they are mine. He was merely the DNA supplier, nothing else."

"Interesting. No further questions." He sat down and waited while Shikamaru gathered his papers and approached.

"Sakura, take me through your day leading up to his arrival."

"Well, I got home from the hospital at eight in the morning after working third shift. I fed my cat and went to bed. I woke up around 11:30 a.m. after there was a knock at my door. One of my patients had developed a complication from his triple by-pass surgery. I rushed back to the hospital and it had started to rain. I fixed the complication after a few hours of surgery. After that, I grabbed dinner and geared up for my night shift. During the night, until the end of my shift at 9:30, I treated a poisoning, a broken leg, a bowel resection, and a kid with chicken pox. I clocked out at 10:00, tired and hungry and stopped by Ichiraku. They were open late and I grabbed a bowl of ramen to go. I got home and was soaking wet. As I entered my apartment, I noticed nothing extraordinary. I couldn't remember if I'd left my kitchen light on, so I thought nothing of it, until a voice from my past called out to me.

"Sakura, it's been awhile, but I need you healing touch." He had a wild look in his eyes. He was gaunt and dripping wet. His hair was longer than I remembered, and he was bleeding all over my floor."

"Sakura, what was your first reaction?"

"Mostly shock. The ramen I had, dropped unceremoniously from my hands and I just stood there looking at him. Questions raced through my mind, but I discarded them. Then I went into medic-nin mode. His arm was bleeding from a vertical gash along his ulna bone. His shirt was hanging off him showing a horizontal slash across his lower abdomen. He was in bad shape and it was my duty as a medic-nin to heal him, regardless of who he was. He was my teammate and I guess a part of me wanted him to return to the old Sasuke I used to know."

"What happened after you bandaged him? Did you ask him questions?"

"Well, he started talking. It was mostly jumble due to the excessive shock from his injuries, but through it all, I saw the lonely boy who grew up without parents for a majority of his life. He talked about how he was in the area due to a report of Itachi being close by. He had a run in with his brother, and according to Sasuke, Itachi had just left Konoha minutes before. A battle ensued about 10 km west of here, but that is all I know. If there was a battle, it should be in your border patrol reports and documented in triplicate."

"Now Sakura, I know this next part will be hard, but, what possessed you to sleep with the guy?"

"OBJECTION! Using the word "possessed" could be leading the witness."

"Over Ruled. Continue Miss Haruno." Utatane shot Kaneda an irritated scowl. After all, this is part of the reason Sakura was here today.

"Hmm, it was weird. After healing him, and trying to coax some answers from him regarding Orochimaru and Itachi, I felt light headed. I thought maybe I was just tired and overwhelmed with his presence that I didn't notice the red eyes. I couldn't really fight the Sharingan's power. It was impressive when he was a boy, but now it was just awe inspiring. I fell for his trap. I don't think he intentionally meant to use it, but I guess it was his defense mechanism to ward off my questions."

"Aren't you a Genjustu specialist?"

"Yes, but even the strongest jounin have had issues fighting the incredible power of the Sharingan."

"Then what happened?"

"Well, through the confusion of my brain, I hatched a plan. I knew that he responded to acts of love and so maybe, if I showed that I still loved him he would listen to reason and turn himself in."

"He didn't fall for it did he?"

"I guess in my heart, I had grown out of my crush and my love for him. Sure, I still loved him as a teammate, regardless of his transgressions, but I didn't love him as a man. I think that is why the trap failed. Anyway, between the two of us, me being confused, and him high on endorphins from the pain, ended up making love that night. It wasn't the slow stuff you see in the movies, it was like we both needed a release from our pasts. After what seemed like forever, we finally finished and the next thing I knew, I was knocked out. When I woke up, he was gone."

"Are you sure you had sex then? After all, you said you were confused."

"Yes, I was a virgin until that moment and my children are clearly of the Uchiha clan."

"Do you feel you were used?"

"No, a part of me wanted to show him love, but the rational side of me said sometimes female ninja have to make sacrifices to complete a mission."

"So you offered yourself as the sacrifical lamb?"

"I wouldn't say offered, but I volunteered, and like I said, he had to use his Sharingan on me to get me to submit. If you haven't been directly attacked by the Sharingan, you have no idea how strong of a jutsu it really is. The little girl in me saw my long time crush, but the woman in me saw a mission. I failed that mission, but gained two great rewards."

"Thank you. No further questions."

Mitokado looked at Sakura and told her she could leave the stand.

"Nara-san, Kaneda-san, do you have any witnesses you would like to call? Please submit your papers now."

There was some shuffling around and they each submitted four papers each. All were to call witnesses to attest to Sakura's character. Shikamaru knew that she had some fire power on her side and knew that she didn't really tick anybody off, besides his wife. He chuckled at the last thought.

"Council, I would like to call forth my first witness, Gaara-sama, of the Village Hidden in the Sand."

The red headed Kazekage stood up and the room stood still with apprehension. The case was now going to get interesting.

AN: Sorry about the delay, been on pain meds for pulled tendon in my foot, plus, FFdotnet has been strange. Also, all info comes from Wikipedia.

Those numbers again were: 6-2-7-8-8-6 and 6-6-6-6-7,


	5. Chapter 5

Don't own, of course. Duh. Read and review. Read and review. Read and review. Hmm. Did I say read and review? Not sure. :)

Gaara of the Desert was, according to most female ninja, simply hot. At 25, he still had his mop of red hair that was perfectly disheveled and his blue eyes just stood out that much more. He had an arrogant swagger and exuded an intangible confidence. Yet, he still retained that air of danger and he flaunted it well. He was considered to be the "Bachelor Kazekage" because his interest in women was simply non-existent at this point in his life. It wasn't that he didn't like women, it was just that he considered them fickle and superfluous. Simply, most girls wanted the title and not the guy behind it. Many had tried to confront him and ask him for a date, some had tried to sneak into his chambers, but those women usually failed in their endeavors. Some of the girls that he knew growing up, had tried to hide behind falsities and mock pleasantries, but they also failed in getting him to notice them. His theory was simply this, they didn't want anything to do with him then, and he sure as hell wants nothing to do with them now. According to Gaara, there were really only several females he actually acknowledged. His sister, of course, Uzumaki Hinata, she was from a prestigious clan and Naruto's wife, and last but not least, Sakura Haruno. This brought him back to the situation at hand.

"Please state your name and rank and registration ID for the court."

"Gaara of the Desert, Kazekage, 56-001" Taking his seat, he unhooked the gourd from his back and sat crossed legged and armed. He raised an eyebrow at Kaneda when he approached the stand.

"So, Kazekage-sama, how long have you know Miss Haruno?"

"13 years."

"And in that 13 years, how would you describe your encounters with the defendant and her team?"

"Evolving."

"Would you care to explain that?"

"No." Shikamaru smirked from the sidelines. He knew Gaara was one tough cookie to crack.

"You are aware that you are under the edict of the court to reply?"

"Yes."

"Please explain what you mean by evolving."

"At first, I wanted to kill them. Then once Akatsuki took the demon from within and killed me, it was the combination of Sakura-chan, Chiyo-sama and Naruto-sama that brought me back to life. After that, we became closer acquaintances of sorts, and here we are ten years later, friends."

"Why did you want to kill them?"

"It was what I existed for. It was my only reason to live at the time."

"What makes you want to live now?"

"Emotion, the ability to feel, friends, and the power to change the world. To simply be alive and to be human makes me want to wake up every morning. My villagers and my siblings, whom up until a decade ago, were mere food for my inner demon, are a great motivation. My life is my mission and mine alone. I was given a second chance to change my skewed view of mortality. This is a mission I cannot fail again. This is why I live."

"Would you consider yourself vulnerable to emotion then?"

"OBJECTION! RELEVANCE?" Shikamaru cried valiantly from the desk where he was currently sitting.

Utatane looked at Kaneda.

"Counsel please state relevance."

"Just trying to decipher if he is susceptible to being swayed emotions and the wiles of a crafty woman." Kaneda snickered at Shikamaru.

"No, I am a shinobi. I show no emotion in my career. I am anything but vulnerable. Don't ever question that aspect of me again. I've killed for less, you insolent worm."

"Gaara-sama, do not threaten the prosecution." Mitokado reprimanded him and told Kaneda to resume.

"Thank you, Council." He tried his best intimidation glare but it merely floundered when he saw the pure hatred of him in Gaara's eyes. As Chief of Operations, he was used to hiding his emotions behind a mask, however, this was proving difficult now.

"Gaara-sama, if I may call you that.."

"No, you may not."

"Fine, Kazekage-sama, there have been reports of the defendant leaving the territory and heading towards your village. What were the purpose of these missions?"

"Those are confidential. I will say that they were for medical purposes."

"But why would she have to leave in the dead of night for them, if they were innocent in spirit?"

"Have you ever traveled to my village during the day? I thought not. It's in the middle of the desert."

"So she traveled at night, and how long does it take to reach your village?"

"Three days easy."

"One can accomplish a lot in three days on the road. Did she ever discuss Konoha business topics with you when you met?"

"They were of medical concern, nothing else."

"Were there any other people in the room whom were present during these meetings?"

"Yes. My brother, Kankuro, my sister, and usually my Head of the Nursing Department.

"Did she ever talk about Sasuke?"

"No."

"Did she ever talk about her pregnancy with you?"

"No, why would she?" Gaara raised his non-existant eyebrow at Kaneda.

"I ask the questions here, you respond." Gaara narrowed his eyes at the patronizing idiot. Did Kaneda not see that he wouldn't get Gaara to fink on Sakura? It was hopeless.

"Would you ever send your Head Nurse to another village for medical purposes?"

"Depends on the situation."

"Do you see helping another village before your own as treachery?"

"No."

"Thank you, no further questions."

Kaneda sat back down in his usually flair and smiled at Shikamaru in what was clearly a smug style and Shikamaru snarled at him with disgust. Stupid paper pusher that Kaneda. He went on occasional missions, he wasn't an ANBU captain, he was Chief of Operations, which meant he oversees the ANBU, orders uniforms and finds creative ways to stick golf pencils in the ceiling tiles above his desk. He was appointed the position when Ibiki retired, and most ANBU thought he was a managerial yahoo. Sure they took orders from him because of his title, and he signed off on all reports, but he was a slime ball. Sure he may be head of the Department, but he was a desk squatter, with some authority to make arrests. This mission he was handed must have been seen as a big boost for his career, hence the current circumstances.

Approaching the bench, Shikamaru smirked at Gaara.

"Gaara-sama, if I may call you that…."

"You may."

"How is Temari?" From the audience, Ino visibly flinched. He would bring her up wouldn't he, she thought to herself.

"Fine."

"So, there have been attacks on several of yours and our local lords and men of prestigious positions. Sakura-chan has healed many of the more intricate cases here, but she has offered herself to your village as a consultant. Do you find that strange that she would want to help a person in need?"

"No. When we were twelve and I had her pinned to that tree ready for the kill, through some special magic of her own, she created a feeling that was forlorn to me. Love. Love for her teammates and life in general. I stopped my attack and was overcome by Naruto and I knew then that she was a person whom was meant to be something greater than what she was. She was able to project her feelings through my sand, and this small woman showed me just how pure the world can be. She wasn't dark and sinister like me, she was light. Her nindo, along with Naruto's changed me in some ways. Of course back then I didn't see it, but now I do. War wasn't won based on how many people had been killed, but on how many lives were saved. Her nindo is that she would rather preserve life than take it away. Since I've known her, all she has shown is compassion, yet there still lingers the ninja. The knowledgeable and deadly shinobi still exists, but she has been an angel of mercy on several occasions, and for that I am here today. She has shown me that it is OK to help others. When she saved my brother, she in a way, saved me as well. I would go to great lengths nowadays to help a person in need. It is my job and my responsibility to do so. So no, I don't find it strange."

"Wow, you've just answered my next few questions. Ok, moving on."

"Do you think it was wrong of her to heal with Sasuke, then?"

"No, she was doing her job."

"And sleeping with him? Good or bad?"

"I would say that was wrong. But, in retrospect, I can see why she did it as well. She probably knew that she couldn't physically restrain him until help arrived. If she had called out, he probably would've killed her, so her only recourse was then to pray that he was emotionally weak enough to succumb to her advances. She hoped he would be so drained that he would listen to reason."

"So you support her then in her actions?"

"No, I can just see the logic behind them. I am after all a male, what do I know about the inner workings of the female mind? Females have always been baffling creatures to me, I am just trying to put myself in her shoes. I've known many a shinobi that have given in easily when it comes to the fairer of the opposite sex, it is real tempting when you haven't satiated a thirst. I have also been a victim thirst, but mine was of a different kind. The temptation overrules the mind and all else is forgotten. Just ask Dosu Kinuta. Temptation is a powerful weapon and she was using it in her strategy."

"During the visits to Suna, has any of her medical advice ever gone astray?"

"No. If anything, the vast improvements to our village health has greatly risen from her knowledge. Our overall survival rate has increased and our ninja are now trained in medicine as well as jutsu and what not. We have created a better shinobi because of our affliations with Konoha."

"Define what your definition of a traitor is."

"Traitor can mean many things. As Kazekage, I don't look at one incident to determine if treachery has been committed. I look at the overall circumstance. In my village, her action would've rendered a loss on her pay scale, and the raising of her children by herself would've been punishment enough. But, had she been harboring a fugitive for a long time and healing him often, then she would've been put to death immediately."

"OBJECTION!"

"On what grounds?" Ebisu pushed his sunglasses up with his left middle finger and looked at Kaneda.

"What does his methods of punishment have to do with ours?"

Shikamaru looked at the dais and responded.

"Just showing how gray of an area, this matter really is. Most of this is circumstantial. This is all I am proving."

"Overruled." Kaneda slumped in his chair. The proceedings were not going according to plan. This seemed so cut and dry, and Kaneda knew it was time to resort to plan B.

"Nara-san, please continue."

"Thank you. Last question, Gaara-sama, because I know you are an important man, if your sister had been put in Sakura's shoes, what would've been your reaction?"

"I would've forgiven her then killed the son of a bitch. Then I would've asked questions."

"Would you have turned a blind eye?"

"No, as the Kazekage, I can't, but I still would've been supportive. She is a member of my village, after all. We stand behind our villagers, except for the select few."

"Thank you. No further questions, Council."

Tonbo looked at Gaara and excused him from the stand.

Mitokado, clearly tired from the hours of testimony asked for the next testimony.

Kaneda stood and dusted the imaginary dirt from his suit and put on possibly the brightest and whitest smile Shikamaru had ever seen.

"Gracious Council, I hereby call forth Akina Uchiha."

"OBJECTION! OBJECTION! She's a child. This will likely scar her." Shikamaru protested most vehemently.

"Yes, but her mother could've fed her insider information." Kaneda sneered.

"Overruled, he has a point."

Sakura's eyes widened and she shot a glance to her daughter whom was clearly terrified. Shizune leaned down and reassured Akina.

Shikamaru approached the dais and asked for a special request.

"Can my client please see her children for a few minutes then? She hasn't really seen them in a week."

"Yes, but you have ten minutes. Starting now." Ebisu pointed at the clock above the dais and was actually timing it. Jerk.


End file.
